pyoung47
MO
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I would guess cost would be a factor. Cleanining a used regular trailer so you could convert it would be tough. Buying a new trailer is probably more than a new RV. They would probably be easier to tow and more dependable due to the heavier suspension and much higher quality.
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blt2ski
Kirkland, Wa
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Lighter and more aerodynamic you can make it, the better off you are. That includes as smooth of sidewalls etc you can get.
Look at what some of the semi's are doing right now, many are gaining upwards of 10 percent with some of the items they add to the base truck, to make the aerodynamics better.
Will this pay off for some of all of us as RV users.....maybe......one needs to figure out how much fuel you save, over a given amount of time, and will the cost make a savings in the miles I drive. I personally would look for a 2-3 maybe a 4 year ROI on the item added. If it does not return all of the $$ spent, and then some. not worth it. Speed is usually the best factor, ie 60-62 in as low of rpm reasonable nets best mpg.
ALso tires and type can add mpg's.
I would suggest checking out articles from some of the medium to heavy duty truck sites, magazines etc to see what is working best, getting the best roi etc. With this in mind, these drivers/trucks are usually doing 70-100K miles a year. So the ROI is way sooner than some RV'rs that might do 10-20K max per year.
Marty
92 Navistar dump truck, 7.3L 7 sp, 4.33 gears with a Detroit no spin
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Bob Shaw
Newnan Ga
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In my humble opinion, based on my experience, towing a 40' 5'er with an 8.1 liter GMC, the best way to improve your mpg is to slow down. I was getting around 5.5 mpg while towing at 70-72 mph, I slowed to 62 and my mpg went to 9 - 9.5. I really wasn't expecting anything that dramatic, and it really didn't make that much difference in my daily miles traveled. A side benefit is that it made the trip way more enjoyable. It's funny how much easier the traffic is when they are passing you instead of you passing them.
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blofgren
Surrey, B.C.
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Truck in signature towing 16k lbs high profile fiver nets a solid 11 mpg. I have gotten better but 11 is my average. I'm quite happy with that given that my Ford 6.0L struggled to get that with a 12k lbs fiver with much less power.
2013 Ram 3500 Megacab DRW Laramie 4x4, 6.7L Cummins, G56, 3.73, Maximum Steel, black lthr, B&W RVK3670 hitch, Retrax, Linex, and a bunch of options incl. cargo camera
2008 Corsair Excella Platinum 34.5 CKTS fifth wheel with winter package & disc brakes
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burningman
Seattle, WA USA
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Slowmover wrote:t
So, do you HAVE to have a pickup? It's a lousy tow vehicle just as it's a lousy vehicle to drive. Unstable, too heavy, etc.
An SUV or car mated to a nice used Airstream will beat all the capacities questions, and also beat any pickup truck combo on every score of road performance. Significant risk reduction.
A car more stable towing than a truck?? A car or gas-engine Suburban beating a turbodiesel on every score of road performance? Risk reduction??
What have you been smoking?!
Few are acknowledging this guy's question, just because you don't get what he's doing. I can tell you, RV's are built like flimsy fragile JUNK, and a horse trailer is built STOUT in comparison.
If you want a trailer that can take punishment and last, this isn't a bad idea. And you can see around a horse trailer lots better, too.
I haul horses, and one thing I can say is it's just gonna need a whole new floor if it's ever gonna smell right, lol. Unfortunately my MPG figures aren't applicable because I carry them 14 at a time in a Peterbilt 379.
* This post was
edited 06/11/17 08:14pm by burningman *
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A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
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mtofell1
Oregon
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Message boards are full of people miscalculating MPGs, lying about MPGs, having a strong confirmation bias about improvement of MPGs and not taking into account varying conditions while calculating MPGs.
You're extremely unlikely to change MPGs any significant amount (+/- 1MPG) without making major concessions with your design. For example, a roof so low in the 5th wheel than you can't stand up. As people pointed out earlier, slowing down makes the biggest difference by a long ways. I also agree with some others that RVing isn't cheap. For all the things we pay for without giving a second thought, RVing should be one of them. Just fill it up, take the receipt and have fun. Skip Starbucks a couple times a week if you really want to save money ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
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Slowmover
Fort Worth, TX
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burningman wrote:Slowmover wrote:t
So, do you HAVE to have a pickup? It's a lousy tow vehicle just as it's a lousy vehicle to drive. Unstable, too heavy, etc.
An SUV or car mated to a nice used Airstream will beat all the capacities questions, and also beat any pickup truck combo on every score of road performance. Significant risk reduction.
A car more stable towing than a truck?? A car or gas-engine Suburban beating a turbodiesel on every score of road performance? Risk reduction??
What have you been smoking?!
Few are acknowledging this guy's question, just because you don't get what he's doing. I can tell you, RV's are built like flimsy fragile JUNK, and a horse trailer is built STOUT in comparison.
If you want a trailer that can take punishment and last, this isn't a bad idea. And you can see around a horse trailer lots better, too.
I haul horses, and one thing I can say is it's just gonna need a whole new floor if it's ever gonna smell right, lol. Unfortunately my MPG figures aren't applicable because I carry them 14 at a time in a Peterbilt 379.
Bummer you don't smoke the same. It's high school physics. Pickups are rollover-prone. In a scenario at a speed you don't appreciate (below Interstate) a pickup will roll where a car or minivan will spin. That's life-changing. Ask any ER physician.
High-centered and heavy for no benefit. In fact, drawbacks.
However "stout" is a horse trailer it's also narrow. See above about costly mistakes. Heavy and space inefficient isn't the way. Drawbacks, not advantages.
A car and an Airstream defined practicality more than 60-years ago. I'm third generation on them. Thousands of good used or new models. Keep investigating, in other words.
Finally, how do you fit all those horses into the tractor?. My KW is fair-sized, but I'm not quite so animal-friendly.
1990 35' SILVER STREAK Sterling, 9k GVWR
2004 DODGE RAM 2WD 305/555 ISB, QC SRW LB NV-5600, 9k GVWR
Hensley Arrow; 11-cpm solo, 17-cpm towing fuel cost
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Slowmover wrote:burningman wrote:Slowmover wrote:t
So, do you HAVE to have a pickup? It's a lousy tow vehicle just as it's a lousy vehicle to drive. Unstable, too heavy, etc.
An SUV or car mated to a nice used Airstream will beat all the capacities questions, and also beat any pickup truck combo on every score of road performance. Significant risk reduction.
A car more stable towing than a truck?? A car or gas-engine Suburban beating a turbodiesel on every score of road performance? Risk reduction??
What have you been smoking?!
Few are acknowledging this guy's question, just because you don't get what he's doing. I can tell you, RV's are built like flimsy fragile JUNK, and a horse trailer is built STOUT in comparison.
If you want a trailer that can take punishment and last, this isn't a bad idea. And you can see around a horse trailer lots better, too.
I haul horses, and one thing I can say is it's just gonna need a whole new floor if it's ever gonna smell right, lol. Unfortunately my MPG figures aren't applicable because I carry them 14 at a time in a Peterbilt 379.
Bummer you don't smoke the same. It's high school physics. Pickups are rollover-prone. In a scenario at a speed you don't appreciate (below Interstate) a pickup will roll where a car or minivan will spin. That's life-changing. Ask any ER physician.
High-centered and heavy for no benefit. In fact, drawbacks.
However "stout" is a horse trailer it's also narrow. See above about costly mistakes. Heavy and space inefficient isn't the way. Drawbacks, not advantages.
A car and an Airstream defined practicality more than 60-years ago. I'm third generation on them. Thousands of good used or new models. Keep investigating, in other words.
Finally, how do you fit all those horses into the tractor?. My KW is fair-sized, but I'm not quite so animal-friendly.
Then why do you tow with a pickup??
This forum is like a Train wreck.....just can't stop watching it!
OP, you'll get somewhere between 8 and 14 mpg. As said above, there's 1000 people on 500 forums daily asking "what fuel mileage will I get?" And there's as many different answers, almost......
RoyB will squeeze 27 mpg out of that combo (and I've seen other ridiculous mileage claims like that) because he can do over 18mpg towing a popup they the mtns with a half ton ford. I'll get about 10 because my week ends are short and I drive 80 mph on the freeway.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
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K-9 HANDLER
Maryland's Eastern Shore
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Might want to post this over on the ag talk forum.
https://talk.newagtalk.com/category-view.asp
Guys running some miles with gooseneck stock trailers over there. Not sure what length or weight that you intend to haul. Most everyone I know has mid to high 20s in length.
Camping near home at Assateague National Seashore with our wild four legged friends
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